If I'm Alex Smith I say all the right things, don't make this into any more of a distraction than it has to be, and as soon as the season is over I tell the GM of the 49ers that I'm out of there and he can trade me or release me but I'm not staying. Smith can start in this league and succeed. He has been in my opinion more a victim of a revolving door of suck than anything and the last couple of years have demonstrated that he can play and play at a high level.

Don't do anything to mess up your trade value or give anyone the impression that you're not a team player but get the hell out of there as soon as the 2012 campaign is over.

If I'm Alex Smith I say all the right things, don't make this into any more of a distraction than it has to be, and as soon as the season is over I tell the GM of the 49ers that I'm out of there and he can trade me or release me but I'm not staying. Smith can start in this league and succeed. He has been in my opinion more a victim of a revolving door of suck than anything and the last couple of years have demonstrated that he can play and play at a high level.

Don't do anything to mess up your trade value or give anyone the impression that you're not a team player but get the hell out of there as soon as the 2012 campaign is over.

Barring a major injury to Kaepernick, something tells me Trent Baalke (San Fran GM) would be just fine with that - in fact he'll probably beat Smith to it.

The contract Smith signed in March was structured intentionally to function as a one year contract if need be. The only guarantee left is $1 Million of his 2013 salary, and there will be no unamortized bonus if he's traded or let go this off season.

Smith is scheduled to make $8.5 Million next year (including a $1 Million roster bonus due in August). That's way too much to spend on a backup QB, and if he's on the opening day 2013 roster, every dime of that will be guaranteed.

Translation: He gone!

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Being a D-bag and being factually correct are not in any way mutually exclusive!

Ok... does anyone see the parallels between what's going on in San Francisco & the QB debates we have here on TTalk?

Alex Smith is a far cry from Matt Schaub, but they are similar in that people will say, "He's not Tom Brady, but you can win a Super Bowl with him."

Kaepernick, nobody really knows who this guy is but Haurbaugh & Kaepernick. We'll see. But it's clear, that his upside appears to be higher. He's dynamic. He's flashy.

I haven't watched any San Francisco games this year with Smith, but my question is... are they running the same offense? Are they running the same plays & Kaepernick is simply making different decisions than what Alex would make in those same situations? Was Alex just playing it safe & Kaepernick making the most of his opportunities?

Ok... does anyone see the parallels between what's going on in San Francisco & the QB debates we have here on TTalk?

Alex Smith is a far cry from Matt Schaub, but they are similar in that people will say, "He's not Tom Brady, but you can win a Super Bowl with him."

Kaepernick, nobody really knows who this guy is but Haurbaugh & Kaepernick. We'll see. But it's clear, that his upside appears to be higher. He's dynamic. He's flashy.

I haven't watched any San Francisco games this year with Smith, but my question is... are they running the same offense? Are they running the same plays & Kaepernick is simply making different decisions than what Alex would make in those same situations? Was Alex just playing it safe & Kaepernick making the most of his opportunities?

I don't know if the offense if functioning the same with Kaepernick at QB, and I do recognize certain similarities between Smith and Schaub, but absolutely nothing beyond that.

The Forty-Niners and Harbaugh traded up to draft Kaepernick early in the second round (fourth pick), and as such, he was the assumed starter of the future the second he was drafted. Yates is a 5th round pick who may or may not have a long term future with the Texans, and even at that, he's far surpassed the expectations anybody had for him on draft day. Smith was a holdover from the regime prior to Harbaugh. Schaub is a QB that Kubiak personally vetted and paid a fairly high price to obtain.

Smith and Schaub are an apples to better apples comparison. Kapernick and Yates (or Keenum, or any QB the Texans are likely to obtain in the near future) are apples to moon rocks.

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Being a D-bag and being factually correct are not in any way mutually exclusive!

I think people forget how close the 49ers are to a Championship. That team got much closer than the Texans did & they're using the same formula. Alex Smith isn't "Matt Schaub" but Kaepernick isn't Tom Brady either.

Alex has been playing well. The 49ers are exactly where they are supposed to be. They are on track to get to the Super Bowl.

Throw Kaepernick in there's no telling how that will alter their course. For the better..... maybe. Throwing in an extra monkey wrench.... most likely.

After the season, I'd go Kaepernick all the way. Even if they win the Super Bowl (which they won't, because we will) if Kaepernick is "Harbaugh's guy"

Being a HUGE Niner fan, I have been paying a lot of attention to this mess, and I agree with you on your assessment. Hardball is making a mistake by starting Kaep. Never been a huge A. Smith fan, but, he's gotten them this far and should be allowed to keep his job. JMO! Really kinda p*ssed off at the Niners right now! I guess we'll see how the boy does. I wish them well, except when they play us!

Smith and Schaub are an apples to better apples comparison. Kapernick and Yates (or Keenum, or any QB the Texans are likely to obtain in the near future) are apples to moon rocks.

No, no, no.no... I'm not trying to make an apples to apples comparison between Kaepernick & Yates, or Keenum. Not even between Matt & Alex. Just acknowledging parallels between the two situations.

Alex Smith is not an elite QB, but he can get that team to & win a Super Bowl. Matt can do the same here. This is largely due to the fact that both teams have strong defenses & strong running games. Not to say that Schaub is just a game manager, but Alex Smith was a bit more than just a game manager last year when he lead his team to a play-off win on the road @ the Super Dome.

Still, Harbaugh wanted more, wanted an upgrade at that position.

Kubiak obviously does not.

Now, I'm not saying this is a good decision by either Harbaugh or Kubiak. Only different. I think there are some here who believe the "upgrade the QB" crowd are delirious, that the line of thinking simply doesn't make sense. I'm just saying it made sense to Harbaugh.

I've already acknowledged the difference between Schaub & Smith. Yeah, Kubiak went after Schaub to be our starter. Alex just happened to be there. Matt's stats probably blows Alex's out of the water. But, Smith has done something Schaub hasn't & that's win two play-off games & play for a conference Championship (& played quite well).

Still Harbaugh is "ready" to move on.

I think it's a big mistake. I know Kaepernick was brought in to be the future, but Smith has that important play-off experience. I would think that would trump Kaepernick's "future-of-the-franchise" status.

I would continue to play Smith & throw Kaepernick in the way he had been. Alex got them too close to the Super Bowl, they're playing too well this year, to be changing out QBs now.

No, no, no.no... I'm not trying to make an apples to apples comparison between Kaepernick & Yates, or Keenum. Not even between Matt & Alex. Just acknowledging parallels between the two situations.

Alex Smith is not an elite QB, but he can get that team to & win a Super Bowl. Matt can do the same here. This is largely due to the fact that both teams have strong defenses & strong running games. Not to say that Schaub is just a game manager, but Alex Smith was a bit more than just a game manager last year when he lead his team to a play-off win on the road @ the Super Dome.

Still, Harbaugh wanted more, wanted an upgrade at that position.

Kubiak obviously does not.

Now, I'm not saying this is a good decision by either Harbaugh or Kubiak. Only different. I think there are some here who believe the "upgrade the QB" crowd are delirious, that the line of thinking simply doesn't make sense. I'm just saying it made sense to Harbaugh.

I've already acknowledged the difference between Schaub & Smith. Yeah, Kubiak went after Schaub to be our starter. Alex just happened to be there. Matt's stats probably blows Alex's out of the water. But, Smith has done something Schaub hasn't & that's win two play-off games & play for a conference Championship (& played quite well).

Still Harbaugh is "ready" to move on.

I think it's a big mistake. I know Kaepernick was brought in to be the future, but Smith has that important play-off experience. I would think that would trump Kaepernick's "future-of-the-franchise" status.

I would continue to play Smith & throw Kaepernick in the way he had been. Alex got them too close to the Super Bowl, they're playing too well this year, to be changing out QBs now.

Where I believe we see things differently is that you made the comment "Still, Harbaugh wanted more, wanted an upgrade at that position". That's where I disagree - Harbaugh didn't want an upgrade to the 2012 Alex Smith, he wanted an upgrade to the 2005-2010 Alex Smith, and that Alex Smith didn't compare at all to Schaub. One statistic that while admittedly not a "tell the whole story" type of deal is that at the time Harbaugh took over in San Fran, Smith's highest QB rating was 82.1. Even including 2011 & 2012, his career QB rating is still under 80. Since being with the Texans, Schaub's had one season where his rating was under 90, and that was his first season at 87.2.

So fast forward to 2012 - Harbaugh didn't have to go out and find what he considered an upgrade, he already had it. I don't know that Kaepernick over Smith is the right choice, although admittedly I think there's a better chance of it than some folks do, but I just don't see it on the whole as similar to what we've got going on with the Texans.

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Being a D-bag and being factually correct are not in any way mutually exclusive!

Where I believe we see things differently is that you made the comment "Still, Harbaugh wanted more, wanted an upgrade at that position". That's where I disagree - Harbaugh didn't want an upgrade to the 2012 Alex Smith, he wanted an upgrade to the 2005-2010 Alex Smith, and that Alex Smith didn't compare at all to Schaub. One statistic that while admittedly not a "tell the whole story" type of deal is that at the time Harbaugh took over in San Fran, Smith's highest QB rating was 82.1. Even including 2011 & 2012, his career QB rating is still under 80. Since being with the Texans, Schaub's had one season where his rating was under 90, and that was his first season at 87.2.

Ok... does anyone see the parallels between what's going on in San Francisco & the QB debates we have here on TTalk?

There are no QB debates here. The only question prior to the season was, "Will Schaub's foot be healed?". That's been answered. Well enough to give Matt an extension, in the collective mind of McNair and Smithiak. No parallels except both teams are driving towards the playoffs.

That was exactly the reason Harbaugh played Kaepernick. He needs to get that stuff out of his system before the season starts. Everybody screws up. Whether it was Alex Smith or Kaepernick, somewhere along the way they're going to screw up.

Kaepernick answered the question & was able to shrug it off. They didn't win the game. Most likely because of his two blunders. But, when they lose a game now, they can come back & play again next week.

Don't work that way for the play-offs & Harbaugh knows that.

Right now, we're talking about the play-offs. We don't want to play Manning one week & Brady the next. Alex Smith does not get that kind of respect. Kaepernick won't either, but I guarantee there will be a couple of teams saying, "Damn, I wish he'd play Alex." He's easier to plan for.

I didn't/don't agree with Harbaugh's decision, that's not the way I would have done it. But I think I understand why he's doing it. Alex got hurt, Kaep came in, played well. The genie is out of the bottle, can't put it back in.